Shock-absorbing socket for vacuum tubes



' Oct. 8, 1929. R B. BENJAMIN 1a730344 SHOCK ABSQRBING SOCKET FOR VACUUM TUBES Filed Nov. 23, 1925 lllllhllllllllllllllll! x-s45 n Patented Get. 8, 192

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO BENJAMIN ELECTRIC MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS SHOCK-ABSORI BING SOCKET FOR VACUUM TUBES v Application filed November 23, 1925. Serial No. 70,789.

My invention relates to shock absorbing sockets for vacuum tubes.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a shock absorbing socket which will be effective in preventing vibration from interfering with the operation of the tube and which will be durable and efiicient.

In the drawings in which an embodiment of my invention is illustrated Figure 1 is a plan view of a shock absorbing socket;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the socket;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the socket;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the contact supporting member and springs;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the construction shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a bottom view of the positioning shield; and

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 7 showing also the contacts and supporting member.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the construction shown comprises an insulating base or support 10, a yieldinglymounted contact supporting member 11 of insulating material, a plurality of combined spring support and contact members 12 secured both to the contact supporting member 11 and to the insulating base 10, and an insulating.

- shield and positioning member 13 secured to the contact supporting member and having a plurality of spaced apertures 14 for receiving the contact pins on the vacuum tube and guiding them into engagement with the spring contact members. I

The insulating base is provided with four spacing legs 15 formed integrally therewith for engaging a suitable support. The combination spring and contact members 12 are secured to the contact supporting, member 11 by means of eyelets 16. The contact positioning shield is secured to the contact supporting member by means of a screw 17 extending through the contact supporting member and threaded into the shield. The shield is recessed at 18 to receivethe-u wardly extending spring contacts 19, each of which is provided with a downwardly turned extension 20 as shown in Fig. 6, the tip of and base. Each of these screws may be pro vided with a binding nut 23, if desired. Each of the springs may be provided with an extension tip 24 to provide a soldering connection for the wires, if desired.

It 'will be seen that the spring' contact members 12 are so arranged and designed with respect to the apertures 14 that they act on the contact pins of the inserted tube in such manner-as to tend to cause the tube to rotate about its axis and thus force these pins against the opposite supporting surfaces of the apertures 14:.

In order to position the shield with respect to the contact supporting member, the contact supporting member is provided with a notch 25 leading from the central opening which receives a correspondingly shaped boss 26 (Figs. 4 and 7) on the lower side of the shield. The apertures in the shield are of different sizes to ensure that the tubeis inserted in the proper position.

I claim: 1. A shock absorbing socket construction for vacuum tubes comprising an insulating support, an insulating positioning shield having spaced apertures to receive and position the electrodes of the tube, means for yieldingly supporting said shield/with re spect to said support, said shield having a portion overlying said support to limit the T downward movement of the shield, a stop member, means for securing said stop member to said shield, said stop member having a portion underlying said support to limit the upward movement of the shield, said shield and said member forming a unitary support and electrode engaging contacts mounted on said unitary'support and extending adjacent said spaced apertures, said spring contact being laterally yieldable and engageable with the side of the electrode.

' 2. A shock absorbing socket construction for vacuum tubes comprising an insulating support, .1 an insulating positioning shield having spaced a ertures to receive and position the electro es of the tube, means-for yieldingly supporting said shield with respect to said support,- said shield having a portion overlying said support to limit the.

downward movement of-the shield, a stop member, means for securing said stop member to said shield, said stop member having a portion underlying said support to limit the upward movement of the shield, said shield and said member forming a unitary support, and electrode engaging contacts mounted on said unitary support and extending adjacent said spaced apertures.

3. A shock absorbing socket construction for vacuum tubes comprising an insulating support, an insulating positloning shield having spaced apertures to receive and position the electrodes of the tube, means foryieldingly supporting said shield with respect to said support, said' shield having a portion overlying said support to limit the downwardmovement of the shield, a stop member, means for detachably securing said stop member to said shield, said stop memher having a portion underlying said support to limit the upward movement of the shield, said shield and said member forming a unitary support, and electrode engaging contacts mounted on said unitary support and extending adjacent said spaced apertures. I

4. Ashock absorbing socket. construction for vacuum tubes comprising an insulating support, aninsulating positioning shield having spaced apertures to receive and position the electrodes of the tube, means for yieldingly supporting said shield with re-,

, spect to said support, said shield having a portion overlying said support to limit the downward movement of the shield, a stop member, means-for securing said stop memher to said shield, said stop member having a portion underlying said support to limit the upward movement of the shield, said shield and said member forming a unitary support, and electrode engaging contacts mounted on said stop member.

5. A' shock absorbing socket construct-ion for vacuum tubes comprising an insulating support, an insulating positioning shield having spaced apertures to receive and position the electrodes of the tube, means for yieldingly supporting. said shield with respect to said support, said shield having a.

6. A shock absorbing socket for vacuum tubes, comprising a tube holder having a plurality of apertures for receiving the-tube electrodes, and means for yieldingly supporttion integral therewith extending adjacent one of said apertures for engaging a tube electrode, said contact portion being provided with a downwardly turned tip lying back of the contact portion and engaging the holder to support the contact laterally.

7 A cushion socket construction for vacuum tubes comprising an insulating base having an opening therethrough, an insulating support extending across said opening, tube terminal engaging contact members secured to said insulating support, spring conductor membersconnecting said base and support providing a yielding mounting for said support and electrical connections for said contacts, and an insulating housing and positioning member secured to said insulating support and extending across said opening, and having recesses in which said contacts are housed, and entrance openings for guiding the tube terminals into engagement-with the socketcontacts, said housing and positioning member having a portion overlying said base yielding movement in one direcing an opening therethrough, an insulating support extending across said opening, tube terminal engaging contact members secured to said insulating support, spring conductor members connecting said base and support port and electrical connections for said contacts, and an insulating housing and positioning member secured to said insulating support and extendmg across said opening, and aving recesses 1n WhlCll said contacts are providing a yielding mounting for said suphoused, and entrance openings for guiding the tube terminals in o engagement with'the socketcontacts, said insulating support having a'portion-undenlying said base to. limit the yielding movement in one direction.

9. A cushion socket construction for vacu- .um tubes comprising an insulating base having an opening therethrough, an insulating support extending acrosssaid o ening, tube terminal engaging contact mem ers secured to said insulating support, spring conductor members connectingsai'd base and support providing a yielding mounting for said'support and electrical connections 'for said con tacts, and an insulating housing and positioning. member secured to said insulating sup port and extending across said opening,'and having recesses in which said contacts are housed, and entrance openings for guiding the tube terminals into engagement with'the socket contacts, said housing and positioning member having a portion overlying said base to limit the yielding movement in one direction, said insulating support having a portion underlying said base to limit the yielding movement in the other direction.

10. A cushion socket construction for vacuum tubes comprising an insulating base having an opening therethrough, an insulating plate extending across said opening, tube terminal engaging contact members secured to said insulating plate, spring conductor members connecting said base and plate providing a yielding mounting for said plate and v electrical connections for said c ontacts,'and

an insulating housing and positioning member secured to said insulating plate and extending across said opening, and having re-' cesses in which said contacts are housed, and entrance openings forguiding the tubeterminals into engagement with the socket contacts, said housing and positioning member having a portion extending through said opening into engagement with said plate.

11. A cushion socket construction for vacuum tubes comprising an insulating base having an opening therethrough, a plurality of each comprising a spring conductor portion wiring terminals mounted on saidinsulating base, an insulating support adjacent the underside of said insulating base. extending across said opening, a plurality of combination contact and spring conductor members,

secured to. said insulating support and ex-" tending between said insulating base and insulating support and lying substantially in a plane transverse to the axis of the socket and secured to said insulating base, adjacent one of said wiring terminals respectively and electrically connected with said wiring terminals respectively and each comprising also a contact portion extending upwardly from said insulating support andhaving its tip bent downwardly, and an insulating housing and ositioning member secured to said insulating support and extending across said opening ad acent the upper side of said base, said housing and positioning member having a plurality of recesses therein to receive and house said verticalcontact portions respectively, and having a plurality of entrance openings afl'ording access to the contacts in said recesses respectively, each of said recesses being partly to one side of said entrance. opening whereby the contacts on'the tube are directed to slide downwardly alongside and in engagement with the vertically extending contact portions, each of said downwardly bent tips engaging a wall of its recess to force the vertically extending contact portion over against another wall of said recess, said insulating housing and positioning member having its mainbody portion spaced from said fiat insulating support and having a of said insulating support.

central boss engaging said flat support, said flat support having an opening therein and a screw extending through said opening, and havinga threaded engagement with said boss, said flat plate having a portion underlying the insulating base to limit .the upper movement of the plate and the housing member secured thereto, and said housing member having a portion-overlying said base to limit the downward movement of thehousing member and the fiat support secured thereto.

12. A cushion socket construction for .vacuum tubes comprising a plurality of integral sheet metal members, one for each tube terminal, each metal member comprising a leaf spring portion extending transversely of the axis of the tube for yieldingly supporting the tube, a tube terminal en aging contact portion extending substantia ly parallel to the axis of the tube, and a spring tip port-ion bent back to lie substantially behind and opposite the terminal engaging portion, and an insulating, housing, and positioning member having recesses in which said contact and tip portions are housed, and having entrance openings for guiding the tube terminals into engagement with the contact portions, said spring tip portions bearing against portions of said housing member to yieldingly hold the terminal engaging portions in the path of the terminals, I

13. A cushion socket for vacuum tubes comprising a stationary insulating support, a

' yieldingly mounted insulating base having a plurality ofrecesses therein, one for each tube terminal, a plurality of yieldable contact members for said tubeterminals, one in each of said recesses, said contact members being insertable into said recesses from the back sideof said-insulating base,and a plurality of spring conductor members, one for each contact member, said stationary insulating support having an opening therethrough to provide ,clearance for at least a,portion .of said yieldingly mounted base, said spring members being secured to the back side of said insulating support, saidtube being, in

sert-ableinto said socket from'thefront side 14. A cushion socket for vacuum tubes com prising a stationary insulating support, a'-

yieldinglyi mounted insulating base having a plurality of recesses therein, one for each tube terminal, a plurality of yieldable contact members for said tube terminals, one in each provide clearance for at least a portion of said ieldin 1y mounted base, said: spring memers being. secured. to the back side of said insulating support, said tube beinginsertable into said socket from the front side of said insulating support, eachcontact member with its spring conducting member being formed as inte ral parts of a bent sheet metal strip.

15. cushion socket for vacuum tubes comprising a stationary insulating support, a yielding mounted insulating base havin a plurality of recesses therein, one for eac tube terminal, a plurality of yieldable contact members for said tube terminals, one in each of said recesses, said contact members being insertable into-said recesses from the back side of said insulating base, and a plurality of spring conductor members, one for each contact member, said stationary insulating support having a an opening therethrough to provide clearance forat least a portion of said yieldingly mounted base, said spring members being secured to the back side of sa1d insulating support, said tube being insertable into said socket from the front REUBEN B. BENJAMIN.

side of said insulating support, each contact member with its spring conducting member being formed as integral parts of a'bent sheet lating support, wire termmals mounted therev on, a tube holder and means for yieldingly mounting said tube holder on said insulatlng support, said stationary insulating support having an opening therein to rovide clearance for at least a portion of sa1d tube holder,

said tube holder comprising (1) an insulating contact carrier, (2) tube terminal-engaging contacts mounted on said contact carrier, (3) an insulating cover having recesses to receive said contacts and entrance openings for the tube terminals leading to sa1d recesses, said means for yieldingly supporting said tube holder comprising eaf spring means secured to the under side' of said stationary insulating support at points spaced circumferentially about the opening therein and also secured to said contact carrier.

17. A cushion socket construction for vacuum tubes comprising a stationary insulating support, wire terminals mounted thereon, a tube holder and means for yieldingly mounting said tube holder on said lnsulatmg support, said stationary insulatin support having an opening therein to provlde clearance for at least a portion of said tube holder, said tube holder comprising (1') an insulating contact carrier, (2) tube terminal-engaging contacts mounted on said contact carrier, (3) an insulating cover having recesses to receive said contacts and entrance openings for the tube terminals leading to said recesses, sa1d means for yieldingly supporting said tube 

